Canandaigua city officials aim for slower Main Street traffic

CANANDAIGUA — The City of Canandaigua has been exploring new ways to improve safety on Main Street.

The latest effort by City Council members is a plan to decrease the speed limit on the four-lane highway from 30 miles per hour to 20 mph.

The city’s Environmental Committee discussed the idea Tuesday and, while the committee made no official action, many council members agreed that this action would help with pedestrian safety.

This isn't the first time the city has proposed speed reduction as a solution to Main Street safety issues. In September, the city enlisted the help of Assembly Minority Leader Brian Kolb, R-Canandaigua, who contacted the DOT seeking suggestions for new safety measures.

Following a fatal pedestrian accident in September 2013, Kolb addressed a letter to the DOT in which he outlined suggestions he had heard from City Council and his constituents — one of which was lowering the speed limit to 20 mph on Route 332 in downtown Canandaigua.

The DOT replied to Kolb’s letter in January but made no recommendation for speed limit change. In fact, the DOT made no new recommendations in that letter — but instead pointed to the city’s efforts, including the addition of the flashing beacons that were installed last month. The DOT also said that a December DOT study determined some pedestrian buttons were not functioning properly and would be fixed and updated to countdown times “during the 2014 construction season.”

Councilwoman Maria Bucci said she would favor a speed limit decrease in a confined area downtown — just in the business district.

Bucci also said she would like the DOT to be more involved with the city’s safety efforts.

“I believe we asked Brian Kolb to get meeting with DOT and city staff,” Bucci said at Tuesday’s committee meeting. “Just letters going back and forth, I don’t think that’s going to get us anywhere. I would like DOT to come to a meeting and have it open to the public, and we could hear from people who actually live here and have to deal with this issue, and (the DOT could) answer our questions face to face.”

Bucci said while considering this proposal, she decided to drive 20 mph down Main Street this week. She observed other vehicles speeding past her or tailgating.

Most council members agreed that cars generally do not stick to the 30 mph limit downtown.

Mayor Ellen Polimeni said she’s concerned that a project like this could take years — and suggested alternate ideas for improving safety downtown.

“I think it would be wonderful if it could happen,” Polimeni said. “The only way it could happen is by act of the legislature. The last time we did this it took us four years to get a very small area between North Pleasant Street and the Middle School lowered.”

The city’s first priority, she said, should be a traffic light at the intersection at Wilcox Lane near the library. She cited an increased use of the library and nearby senior housing and daycare as causing increased traffic there. Polimeni said the city had asked the DOT to look at the possibility of putting in a traffic light at that location in previous correspondence.

“I was disappointed that the DOT didn’t address that,” she said. “To me, that might happen faster than trying to get a speed limit decrease.”

The committee, led by Councilman Bill Taylor, agreed to wait for the results of a walkability study they expect to be a part of this summer. Then — armed with new information from the study — the city will send multiple requests to the DOT in hopes that at least some issues are addressed. The walkability study is expected to be completed in the fall, Taylor said, then the city will take its speed limit proposal, among others, to the DOT.